


You Know Where I Stand

by Mark_Of_Serafina



Category: Original Work
Genre: Character Study, Children, Death, Dying in an alley, Gen, Magic, Monsters, Mystery, Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Original Fiction, POV Original Character, Past Lives, Smoky being, Victorian era maybe, Younger selves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-26
Updated: 2019-02-26
Packaged: 2019-11-06 00:51:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17929646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mark_Of_Serafina/pseuds/Mark_Of_Serafina
Summary: A young boy runs away from a monster that wants to kill him and this is his story.





	You Know Where I Stand

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story that came out of a dream. If it's blurry, that's intentional :3 Hope you enjoy this story.

Inky black hair flying with the force of a cold biting wind of an early winter, grazing the forehead of a young face of a boy who was no more than seven. His eyes, an intense shade of blue which could only be found in the deepest darkest depths of the ocean, shows a myriad of emotions : Deep-seated terror, an aching sadness and also a slight disappointment.

The boy was running for his life, running away from something that he has no knowledge of. All he does know was that a certain death would befall him if he ever stopped. He was birthed into a well-to-do family, enough food to fill their stomachs and clean clothes everyday. Now, his clothes were faded, torn and tagged with holes, and dirtied with unmentionable stains. He also lost his shoes a while back, feet blistered and swollen, but still running on the snow covered cobblestone path. He used to look wholesome, but now he looks like a street urchin, someone who needs to steal from others for their sustenance.

He ran like the wind into an alley, hoping to cross somewhere else crowded with people. But alas, his luck ended today, he knew. The alley at the opposite end was a dead end, his hands caressed the rough cold stones of the wall. Running from Death for so long, so many months gone and wasted, maybe now he'll accept the outcome.

Turning from the cold hard unforgiving walls, he faced the mouth of the alley, his back pressed tightly against the wall, the cold seeping through his thin clothes.

Just then, a new heretofore unnoticed entrance in the alley caught the boy's eyes. He walked hesitantly towards the new space, stopping at the edge. There seemed to be a glowing static field, or force field, covering the opening because the inside was blurry, unfocused.

The shape of the new space was rectangular. The ground in the rectangular space was checkered black and white, like a chessboard. After several bouts of squinting, he realized it was tiles on the ground, smooth and shiny like polished marble, instead of the dull looking rough cobblestones on the streets and in the alley, until here.

The boy put one foot in front of him, and another, and he disappeared from the cold alley.

* * *

The interior of the new space was warm, and it thawed the coldness of his body from the inside out. It was the kind of warmth that makes you feel safe and loved.

When he made to take another step, a softly uttered word echoed in the empty space, "Stop."

He looked up, searching for the person who has spoken. At the innermost right corner, there was a speck of a person who stood there. Perhaps not a speck, because the person seemed to be near enough to distinguish their features but far ahead in distance. It confused and baffled his mind.

The person, who looks very much like a girl, has long light blonde hair that was lustrous and shiny, warm cerulean blue eyes, a dainty nose and lips colored with a natural light rosy tint.

When he made a move towards her, the girl raised her hand to stop him. She said in a quiet and gentle, yet strong, voice, "Follow the tiles and walk to me."

At first he was uncomprehending, but then he saw three tiles were darker than most and in a zigzagged line. He followed the tiles, never looking up. At the third and last tile, he looked up. And nearly fell back at the shock.

The person grabbed his arm, their grip was pretty strong, and their touch was warm and welcomed on his cold skin. Upon closer inspection, the person was indeed a girl, though she was wearing men's clothes. Which was probably why it was difficult to figure out her identity.

She was wearing a long sleeves linen shirt in the color of a cloudless sky, a dark red waistcoat with gold trimmings, a pair of dark blue breeches and simple riding boots. The girl was also taller than him by a few inches, an embarrassment if you asked him. She was well-bred, according to society norms, but appears wraith-like : tall and skinny.

"Your death awaits you," she said in her quiet, but strong, voice. "But you won't die. Walk back the three steps in the same fashion, at the last tile on your left side has a wooden door with a simple brass knocker. Enter it and it will lead you to safety." She gave a compassionate smile, but her eyes were sad.

As suddenly as the new space had appeared, it disappeared and pushed the boy out forcefully, not hurting him at the same time. Abruptly, he was standing with his back pressed against the cold hard unforgiving walls that blocked his escape again. This… this was reality; the girl that offered salvation just moments ago was a vision : Surreal and virtual.

Death was in front of him, and the only thing he could do now, was struggle and fight, for his life. Because he knew he was not getting out of this alley alive.

In the beginning, he had ran for his life to protect his family, without knowing what monster was chasing him in particular. Now that he was face-to-face with his nightmare, he knew this will not be the end of the struggle between him and Death. This will be an unending cycle.

As the monster advance, a smokey being with the typical fiery red eyes, the boy raised his arms to protect himself. All the while, the more primitive part of him was yelling, commanding him to Run! Hide!

In the instance of closing his eyes one second and opening them in the next, the boy found himself in the space, with the girl, once again. This time though, with his arms comically raised for an unseen assault. He put down his arms by his side, and noticed that the girl was looking at something behind him. He turned around.

It was a scene of him facing the monster, the outcome was expected, but gory. One slash of his smokey hand - paw?- with claws and the boy was dead on the ground, blood flowing like river.

At least, the body was dead. Because the boy was still standing in the space beyond time, witnessing his own death. He was too shocked to react in any way that was appropriate for this kind of situation. When the girl spoke, he turned to face her.

"You know where I stand." The girl told the boy. "I will be here until you defeat your Death." She pointed at the monster as it turned its head to look at the girl, or the boy, seemingly sneering at the both of them, even though it was impossible… or was it? "Run along now."

The boy walked back the three zigzagged steps, in the exact same fashion, even going so far as to not look up until he returned to the first tile. And true enough, on his left side was a wooden door, that looks like oakwood, with a simple brass knocker. He opened the door a slit, the brightness from within searing his eyes, making him tear up a little. He closed his eyes and opened the door.

The blinding flash of white light engulfing him, he walked into the bright world ahead, and the door closed behind him with a soft thud.

He didn't hear the girl's quiet and sad voice saying, "Fight well my future brother, Cain."

* * *

A woman with a slightly wavy dark haired Bob was cradling a few months old baby while staring out the window, looking at her front yard.

"Aidan!" She called, her voice melodious and tinkling. "Come out with mama to enjoy the seasons!"

A boy with inky black curls shot to the front yard that was covered with fallen leaves in colors of red, orange and yellow.

Across the street, was a girl with light blonde hair, warm cerulean blue eyes, that dainty nose and the same lips colored with the same natural light rosy tint. She stood there watching the antics of a little boy. She was wearing modern clothes though, a hot pink button down flannel shirt, and a pair of denim jeans with red sneakers on.

A car drove by in front of her, and you can barely hear her say, "It's not your time yet, Aidan." A lone tear trickled down from the corner of her eyes.


End file.
